Roend
Roend is a country located on the western coast of the continent. It is located just south of the Barrier Peaks, through with it shares land borders with Astirawen and Werissa. To the south lies it's border with Nydendald, while to the east, lies the border of Wicaede. The northern coast of the Tenebrous Sea lies between these two borders, taking up an equal portion of Roend's borders as each of it's land borders. The entire western border of Roend is against the ocean. Roend's terrain is made up of the most sizeable area of the Barrier Peaks, however this terrain is largely untouched by them, as it is heavily inhabited by Dwarves, and is the most significant staging ground of the Dwarf War. Additionally, Roend comprises the foothills to the south of the western Barrier Peaks, as well as the Barrier Forests, and the western areas of the Northern Waste, significantly cutting into it's useful territory, and somewhat isolating it from Wicaede. History Governance Politics Roend is a true absolute monarchy. It's head of state is the Exiled King, who dictates the universal standard by which all cities and villages of the kingdom will be governed. The position of Exiled King is inherited, and not gender dependent, though the title remains static, so it is possible, and almost common, for women to be the Exiled King. The only limitation is that the inheritor must be related to the current Exiled King. This typically results in a child inheriting though it's not unknown for siblings, or grandchildren to be named heir. While the Exiled King is capable of making any decree and changing whatever law they choose, in practice the laws of the realm are generally fairly static, with only tax rates largely varying based on economic pressures, or laws being created in response to growing problems. Culture Social Classes Roend has the flattest social order of all the nations in the continent, broken down into only two social classes. The upper class is comprised of the merchants, business owners and representatives of the Exiled King. They are characterized primarily by their wealth and influence. The average upper class citizen is capable of running their business with little to no worry about expenses, as well as maintaining their own property. An upper class citizen with the wealth to run a business stretching beyond one location, or owning multiple properties is a rare occurrence, which stands in stark contrast to most surrounding nations, and is a sign of Roend's recent establishment and economic difficulties. The lower class of Roend is more comparable to a middle class of other nations, with most members of the middle class owning their own property, or a business, depending on the circumstances. The largest difference between the lower class and the upper class is that the lower class' businesses are simply less profitable for some reason. The labourers on farms and mines also fall into this category, despite not owning their own business. Every farmer and miner owns the house in which they live. When moving between cities labourers will generally sell their house to the Exiled King, or their representative. As such there is almost always a small number of unowned houses in any given area, and if someone wishes to move to a village without a house for sale, there is usually spare land to build one. Most of the lower class are not wanting for their necessities, though they rarely have very little money set aside, and that money which is set aside is normally for replacing things such as clothes, or some other long-lasting necessity. When such necessities come up, they usually take the majority of the money set aside, however it is rare for a member of the lower class to be completely without money. Gender Roles For the largest part practicality has forced the people of Roend to abandon the majority of their former gender roles, and now gender plays a relatively minor part in informing a person what they can and cannot do with their lives. A single man or woman is free to do as they please, completely regardless of gender, which is true at all levels of society. Within marriage however there does remain a few cultural norms. The man typically leads the family, having the final say on important decisions regarding all members of the family. The family is still a diplomatic body however, and most men will listen to their wives and children, and discuss the situation before coming to a final decision. Likewise, a married woman typically becomes a little more submissive towards her husband, and follows his lead in daily matters, though still retains most of her autonomy. During pregnancy the woman rests at home, while the man will continue to work hard to support the family. When the baby is born both the man and the woman take time off from work, and for the first six months of the babies life the family is supported by the community. After six months have passed both parents return to work. Typically, if a couple is having a third or fourth child the man will keep working after the baby is born, as the older children are available to care for it. Demographics Races The majority of Roend citizens are the descendants of displaced humans, fleeing from Werissan conquest. The second highest population within the nation is Dwarves, with many of them occupying the cities in the mountains and foothills. The dwarves of Roend are largely citizens of the dwarf cities who have, for one reason or another, fled the Dwarf War. Kehrno and Elves are also present in Roend, though neither are particularly common. Economy Roend's economy largely runs on the smaller coins of other nations, as it's national coin, the Platinum Crown is valued at 1 Crown to 10 Gold Plains, making it the only currency in the world valued higher than the Gold Plain. This is due to an official decree by the Exiled King at the time of the Crown's minting, that it would be accepted within Roend at the prescribed rate. The establishing big businesses in Roend took to them as they made large payments easier, and the influx of Gold Plains from the rich citizens to the government allowed Roend to gain traction with it's neighbours, and eventually the Crown was accepted internationally, and finally the Werissan Bank solidified it's value. Roend has poor farming land, greatly limiting the crops it can grow. As such the vast majority of it's agriculture is dedicated to the production of it's grain crops, which are used in part to feed all the domesticated animals. The remainder of the agriculture is spent on grapes, which are primarily used in the production of wine. Meat and furs are one of Roend's biggest industries, and furs comprise it's largest export. Wine is the second largest export of Roend, with some of it's wines being considered amongst the best on the continent. In the cities within the mountains mining is common, and the metals of Roend are plentiful. Despite this metal exports are something Roend limits, keeping large stockpiles of metal in storage, by decree of the Exiled King. Overall the imports of Roend are very minimal, only importing vegetables from it's neighbouring countries in order to provide it's people with full nutrition. Overall, Roend's strong natural resources have allowed it to overcome the hardships of re-establishing itself as a nation, and the limitations imposed by it's smaller areas of land. Military Organisation The military of Roend is comprised largely of a militia force, with only a small group of it's soldiers being professionals. The militia of Roend are divided into Meseesi, units organized by region. Every city, town and village maintains a Meseesi that meets once every week to practice. The villages maintain the highest rate of Meseesi attendance out of all the settlements. However cities still can bring the largest Meseesi to a battle. While the Meseesi have yet to be tested on the field of battle, they are regarded to be more competent than the Roend military of old, and many Meseesi attendees take pride in the belief that they could best a Werissan legion. Many outsiders believe they would not be capable, due to the lack of uniformity to the Meseesi's skills, and quality of equipment, making the chances of their victory highly variable. Category:Nation Category:Old Setting